Development and validation of a sensitive reverse-phase UHPLC fluorescence method for the quantification of citreoviridin in rice, corn and wheat

Abstract

In the present study, a sensitive and new reverse-phase UHPLC fluorescence method is developed and validated for the quantification of citreoviridin (CTV) in rice, corn and wheat. The analysis was carried out isocratically on a C18 column (2.1 mm × 100 mm × 1.8 µm particles) utilizing a solvent system of acetonitrile:water:formic acid (55:45:0.1, v/v). The flow rates were set to 0.2 ml min^‒1 and 0.3 ml min^‒1, at 0.00–4.00 min and 4.01–10.00 min, respectively. 5 µl of sample was injected into the UHPLC column. A fluorescence detector was adjusted to 220 nm excitation and 340 nm emission wavelengths. The linearity, precision, accuracy, limit of detection (LOD), limit of quantification (LOQ), stability and robustness variables were tested for the validation of the developed UHPLC method. A good linearity was achieved in the concentration interval of 2 ng ml^‒1–200 ng ml^‒1 for CTV. The intra-day and inter-day assay variability was less than 3% for the CTV. The LOD and LOQ values were 0.38 and 1.16 ng ml^‒1, respectively. The developed UHPLC method was successfully applied for the determination of CTV in food.